The New Digs...

We are so excited because, as I said in the previous post we had the opportunity to move into an amazing new townhouse.  It is Carmel Landing Apartments off of 151st St. in Camel/Westfield, IN.  It is a 3 bedroom & 2.5 bath, by level with a patio, private back and front entrance.  A great place that Jenny and I can start a true home with a family (Alec, Jenny, & Indie of course).  We have spent the past couple of weeks decorating our place to truly make it ours, with all of it coming from the talented, artistic mind of Jenny.

Guest Bedroom 

Master Bedroom
 

Living Room 

Dining Room/Kitchen

Back Patio 

Office/Turquoise Feathers Studio

We have such an amazing place and I have such an amazing wife.  She is the most talented and perfect woman in the world.  Feel free to come to our place at any time, enjoy some coffee, and the great sounds of our new record player.



till another day,




normallyINDIE.

2012? We are still here...

It is now January of 2013 and the Mayans were wrong and we are still here.  With that being said, I would like to take a look back at the year that was truly amazing for the Tod Family.  If you received the wonderfully designed Christmas cards from my Wife, Jennifer of Turquoise Feathers Studio, LLC, you know that 2012 was a big year for us.  Just to lay out a couple reasons for why 2012 was such an amazing year for us.

I accepted my first position in ministry as the Community Youth Coordinator at Groesbeck UMC in Cincinnati, OH on Jan. 2nd 2012.

Jennifer & I tied the knot at the Harrison Center for the Arts in Downtown Indianapolis, IN March 10th, 2012.

Jennifer & I moved into our first apartment in March in Downtown Cincinnati, OH.

Jennifer & I graduated from Herron School of Art & Cincinnati Christian University (respectively) on May 12th - May 13th 2012.

I transitioned into the position of Pastor of Student Ministries at Groesbeck UMC in Cincinnati, OH.

We introduced Indie Tod into the world as we adopted our first puppy in August of 2012.

I accepted the position of Student Ministries Pastor at Twin Oaks Christian Church in Woodhaven, MI.

Jennifer & I moved to Southgate, MI in the Down River District of Detroit, MI.

I introduced the rebranding of the Student Ministries at TOCC entitled The Uprising

Jennifer accepted the position of Graphic Designer & Social Media Director at Mousetrap Mobile in Royal Oak, MI.

Jennifer's freelance graphic design business became an official LLC under the name, Turquoise Feathers Studio, LLC in November of 2012.

I preached my first sermon at the main sunday morning service at Twin Oaks CC on Dec. 30th, 2012.

As you can see, this year has been as crazy as they come.  We are looking forward to not moving as well as transitioning into new jobs.  But we are also excited about the new opportunities that will come to us in 2013.  Just a few things we are looking forward to are, Turquoise Feathers becoming a huge company, Missions Trip to Dominican Republic, Moving into our first house.  It should yet again be an exciting year in 2013 and I will keep you updated through this blog.


till another day,




normallyINDIE

Photographer?...

I am not a photographer.  If you have been following me on Instagram you can very well see the lack of skill that I have when it comes to manuevering a camera.  But that is not what my wonderful wife saw in me.  She sees photography as an opportunity for her to teach me how to be a great photographer because she is first a great photographer.  Jenny just recently started to get her freelance business really going full steam and she can be found at www.turquoisefeathers.com .  As you have heard me say time and time again she is the most talented, hard working designer/photographer I have ever met.

After a lot of patience and a couple short lessons, she gave me the opportunity to jump behind the camera and shoot a few pictures of her beautiful face as she posed for some self portraits.  This post is the product of that session.  Enjoy.  

Excited to keep shooting and I hope to have more and more pictures up soon,



till another day,



normallyINDIE

Birthday wishes...

This week is a special week in my life.  If you guessed it is my birthday... you were wrong, this weekend is the birthday of my beautiful wife Jennifer.   It is a special week for us because at the end of it is her first birthday since being married.  I have many things planned for this week to show her home special she truly is and how wonderful I have cherished these last couple of years together.

What is so amazing is this is my third birthday with her and each one I have fallen more and more in love with her.  It is times like these that makes me look forward to her 82nd birthday and spending a wonderful week together leading up to her big day.

Lastly, I would love to thank God and also Duane Schroeder and Debbie Schroeder for giving birth to my beautiful bride and raising her to be the wonderful woman she is today.  Thank You.


till another day,



normallyINDIE

Down to Single Digits...

If you have been following either or our blogs for the last year and a half you know that Jennifer Schroeder of Turquoise Feathers and Alec Tod of normallyINDIE are tying the knot in just 9 days.  This marks the end of a very long journey that began way back when in October of 2008 when I first laid eyes of my future bride.  It has been a long 3.5 years since that first day we met, but we have made it here and I could not be happier.

Not only is this a journey that is coming to an end, but it is launching a much longer journey that was ordained by God.  It is launching into and eternity of love that we will be spending together.  An eternity of love that will be modeled after the unconditional love that is found in the arms of Jesus Christ.

But that is all good and swell, but it has not been an easy road to get to where we are today.  It has taken growth, a humble spirit, prayer, love, and commitment to get to where we are today.  But most of all it has taken sacrifice.  Not the easy stuff that most people think of like giving up the remote, food choices, money, or radio stations (although all of those do happen), it has taken the denying of myself for the betterment of my bride.  For she is just that, my bride that, like Jesus does for the church, I must sacrifice myself for her betterment.  It takes the sacrifice of dreams, future plans, and job choices for the betterment of her.  But I know what many of you will say, why would anyone get married when you have to give up everything that you hold dear and I would have this to say to the skeptic.  There is nothing like giving up everything for another person, only for them to do the same for you.  Just as I have given up my dreams, future, and jobs for the betterment of Jennifer, Jennifer has denied herself only to support me.  She has sacrificially trusted the Lord with our relationship even to the point of moving from her home for the past 22 years to start a new home with me here in Cincinnati, OH.  She did not do so because there was something in it for her or because she was forced, it did so because she, like me, has chosen everyday to deny herself for me.

That is why people who fall in love, stay with one another for all of eternity.  They have realized that they must wake up everyday and deny themselves for the betterment of the love of their lives.  For there is nothing better than giving your life to someone and them doing the same.

So as I prepare to read my vows of promise to my future bride, today I vow that I will deny myself for Jennifer only to wake up tomorrow and do it all over again.


till another day,




normallyINDIE

#3...

On October 16, 2009 I was given the privilege to begin a relationship with the most amazing women in the world.  If any of you truly know me, you know that I am speaking of my unforgettably beautiful fiancé (soon to be wife #31012) Jennifer Schroeder of Turquoise Feathers.  Not only is she the face of this wonderful company, but she is also the brains behind this very blog you are currently reading.  Design being one of the many she is talented at, I have the privilege this year to be spending our 3rd Valentine's Day together (3 of many, many more).

Although we are not spending the actual day together, it still means just as much.  We will be celebrating this wonderful day on February 16th (our 28th month anniversary, yes I still count those) by getting matching tattoos that symbolize our soon to come marriage.

But all of that aside I would like to take some time to celebrate our life together so far by posting a couple pictures of some of my favorite memories with my beautiful Valentine.

Friend's Wedding in 2010, She was so Beautiful

2nd Picture we took together, Irela BOTB 2009

My Favorite Engagement Picture, Christmas 2010

Brother & Sister in Law's Wedding, 6/5/10

Summer Engagement Pictures, 2011

These are just a couple of my favorite moments in the past two and a half years of life that I have been able to share with the most precious human being in the entire world.  It is truly an honor to be associated with her and it will be even more of an honor on 3/10/12 to declare Jennifer Schroeder to be my wife Mrs. Jennifer Tod. 

till another VALENTINE'S day, 

normallyINDIE

Home, Sweet, Home...

As I have gone on a blogging spree to catch up from a long eventful break, you all must know that Jennifer and I have moved from Indiana to Ohio recently (I live here now Jennifer will be joining me after we get married in March and she currently is living in Indy still).  On December 30th, we officially moved into a new home on the corner of 8th & Main in Downtown Cincinnati.  It is a dream home for us, a 2 bedroom apartment (1 for us 1 for Jennifer's studio), that is on top of a business in the heart of downtown.  With that being said I would like to give you a little outline of the place and some of our favorite parts.

As you approach the front door, you see that it is purple, which is just awesome.

Our Front Door

You then walk up the 4 flights of stairs to get to the top floor and open the door to  our entryway which includes three great windows that overlook the canopy of Arnold's Restaurant (oldest in Cincinnati) as well as a full scale reading room complete with a tiger rug, wingback chairs, and loads of books.  Not to mention this the room that the bathroom is located, which is important to know.

Bathroom

Reading Room

Continuing through the apartment you head into the dining/living room that has some great future and wood flooring from the early 1900s.  We will be adding internet and a much bigger TV in the near future.

Living Room/Dining Room

You then turn right into the kitchen complete with new floors, countertops, loads of storage, and new appliances.  The old cabinets and pantry are both things that Jennifer and I loved.

Kitchen

Continuing to the end of the tour is the bedroom on the left and Jennifer's studio on the right.  Her studio is a work in progress as she has not fully moved in just yet, but I am sure that all things Turquoise Feathers will be taking over that place.  The bedroom features a queen bed which we just purchased thanks to Grandma Jeanie.  We have collected some great furniture pieces from both of Jennifer's grandmothers, but we are still looking for a rug and another dresser to accommodate Jennifer.

Our Bedroom

Jennifer's Studio

Well that is a small tour of our apartment as it is today.  There will be continued updates as time goes by and if you would like to come visit let Jennifer and I know and we would love to have you.


till another day,


normallyINDIE

In the Ministry...

Now when I say "the Ministry" I am not referring the the Ministry of Magic from the world of Harry Potter (excited that the final Harry Potter Movie came out), I am referring to the Ministry of Jesus Christ.  It has been a few weeks now, but on October 29th 2011 I had the opportunity to become an ordained minister into the Christian Church/Church of Christ Non-demoninational sect of Christianity.  That sounds like a lot, but in laymen's terms that means I have become an ordained minister into the Christian faith.  What this means is that I now have the ability to perform wedding ceremonies, funeral ceremonies, and am considered an ordained ministers while applying for jobs.  It is a great benefit, but most of all it is the ushering in of a new member into the ministry of pastors that have been thousands of years in the making.

Official Invitations designed by Turquoise Feathers 

My wonderful fiancé put together a ceremony to commemorate all of my achievements as a student as well as my call to ministry.  The night included words from Joel Craig who has been my mentor in ministry since the beginning of my call in Junior High, my granny Gladys Wheeler, who despite her absence was able to send an audio of touching words of leadership (she has been my motivation to pursue ministry since I was a little boy), and lastly my father Jeff Tod who I was baptized with and have looked up to since I was able to speak my first words.  I was given the opportunity at the end of the night to share a little bit about my vision for ministry as well as my gratitude for those around me.  I was truly honored to have been given this call by to go into ministry and each of the people that spoke had amazing impacts on my life in a vital way.

God has called me into the ministry and this ordination was just one of hundreds of thousands of steps.  After taking this first step, I look forward to continuing on this journey of life with my beautiful fiancé by my side and our call into ministry leading us.  God is going to do amazing things through us and I just hope I am one of his many tools that he uses to spread the gospel to the ends of the Earth.


till another day,



normallyINDIE

An Artist at Work...

As many of you know, Jenny, my wonderful fiancé, and I have begun to spend much of our time at the tattoo shop.  We have built a relationship with an amazing tattoo artist named TJ Harmon.  We originally met him at randomly when I wanted to get a tattoo to symbolize my love for my beautiful fiancé.  We were referred to Irish Ink in Greenwood by a couple friends and I ran into TJ, TJ Harmon to be exact.  He did an amazing job with the paint palette tattoo on my right hand and it was a perfect artist-client relationship after that.

Although this isn't the best picture (the Red and the Orange have since then come in much better) it was a perfect tribute to the artist that is my fiancé.  

It then got us thinking, "What other tattoos are next?"  Jenny then had the honor of working with him to create a truly beautiful memorial tattoo in honor of the wonderful Melvin & Doris Schroeder.  

It was truly an honor to be a part of the tattoo process and to make this tattoo a reality.  TJ Harmon at this point moved from Irish Ink to a new tattoo shop, because of a misunderstanding with management, called Main Street Tattoo in Old Town Greenwood.  After this amazing tattoo, my beautiful fiancé gave me a gift for my birthday.  Two Years Early on October 9th, my then girlfriend (Yes, is still Jenny :) ) gave me a tattoo for my birthday.  

  

This year, October 9th 2011, she decided to continue that tradition by surprising me with a trip to Main Street Tattoo and a meeting with TJ Harmon.  Seven Hours Later and a lot of pain, this was the product on my left upper arm.

This, still an unfinished piece, is by far my most detailed piece with the shading, deep lines, and colors.  I was in awe of how wonderful this work actually turned out and I am so excited to add some color to finish off the shoulder cap and to continue to the elbow.  But this is not all.  Last week TJ had a special of $50 an hour and Jenny had the wonderful idea of getting a random tattoo that is small, but still important to each of us.  so we got each of these tattoos respectively (Jenny on the left, me on the right). 

Jenny, a tattoo based on the DCFC song "I'll Follow You Into the Dark" with the date 10-16-09 which is the day I officially ask her to be my girlfriend.  Mine on the other hand, was the chi-rho symbol which was used by Constantine on his army's shields.  This symbol meaning Christ or power and strength, thus it was placed on my left forearm under the word Power in Greek.  

This brings the total tattoo tally for me up to 6 and Jenny up to 7 with many more ideas to come.  This long relationship with TJ does not seem to be stopping soon and we are so excited to begin to spend time with him.  For all of this would not be possible without the talent and drive to TJ Harmon to do tattoos.  

He is truly a master artist and a great friend of ours.  If you ever need anything as far as tattoos go, please go to him.  This is the beginning of a great relationship and I cannot wait to see how it continues.  As Jenny and I grow and mature, so will our relationship with our tattoo master, TJ Harmon.  

till another day, 

normallyINDIE

OUR Big Day...

Those of you who know me personally know that I will be marrying the most amazing woman in the world on March 10th 2012 (just 168 short days away).  We are both so anxious to start our life together, living in who knows where, moving into our apartment, getting our first Dog, etc... All of the things that married couples will get to do we are both so excited to bring into our lives.  As a part of Turquoise Feathers , Jenny is photographing a wedding this weekend for a couple of great friends.  We could not be more happy for Clay and Anya, but I am not gonna lie, jealousy has begun to sink in.

But as I battle with the jealousy and anxiety, I begin to realize that God has brought me to the place that I am on September 24th 2011 for a reason.  I am currently a Student Ministry Intern, seeking a full time position and many times I wonder why God has placed me where I am currently.  I have become so anxious to move to the next stage of life (job, marriage, new life) that I have begun to forget why God has me where I am today.

As Christians we are called to live in urgency and hope that today will be the day that the Lord, Jesus Christ will return to save us from this wicked world.  Therefore, it is important to always live in the moment "making the most of every opportunity" (Eph. 5:15-16) today.  In that God has provided for each of us an opportunity to grow and an opportunity to bring glory to God everyday, calling us to take advantage of those opportunity now.

With that being said, although my anxiety for marriage and my new stages of life are normal, they are not what I am called to.  God is continuing to move and lead in my life today September 24th 2011.  I am seeking the follow the Lord today and if I am given to blessing of the breath of life in the morning, I will do the same.


till another Day,



normallyINDIE

Makin' it a Habit...

As many of you know, reading has become a big part of my life since I went to college just three years ago, but it was not until May that I was given the opportunity to have free time.  This free time brought about the opportunity to make myself read books.  Not just any books either, but books that I actually want to read and if you know me you know that this opportunity has caused me to become a nerd.  A nerd that if I had the opportunity would go to Half Price Books or any other bookstore for hours searching for books, old and new.

As I have become a nerd, I have read a great amount of books with countless books to go (42 new books if you want the real number).  As follows are the books:

Poems - Emily Dickinson
Jesus for President - Shane Claiborne
Communicating for a Change - Andy Stanley
Harry Potter 7 - JK Rowling
A Grief Observed - C.S. Lewis
The Great Divorce - C.S. Lewis
The Abolition of Man - C.S. Lewis
The Problem of Pain - C.S. Lewis
Simply Christian - N.T. Wright
The Weight of Glory - C.S. Lewis
10 Commandments of Marriage - Ed Young
The Penultimate Peril - Lemony Snicket
The Sacred Marriage - Gary Thomas
George Macdonald - C.S. Lewis
Slow Fade - Reggie Joiner

As you can tell I have spent a lot of time with C.S. Lewis this summer, but what I have found lately is that marriage books are much of my focus.  I have learned a lot from these books as I prepare to marry Jenny Schroeder of turquoise feathers and through these readings God is teaching me how to be the true provider and protector of my new family.

As I continue on through the rest of the year I am hoping to continue to read 50 pages a day and soon enough finish all 75 books in my library (about 40 to go).  The writers of these different books have each taught me something different this year and I am so excited to continue to learn and grow with the ideas found on the pages.


till another day,




normallyINDIE

Turquoise Feathers

As many of you know I am engaged to the beautiful Jennifer Schroeder, but what many of you may not know is that she is the designer behind much of my material including www.normallyINDIE.com, www.about.me/alectod, as well as all of my photography.  When she is not helping me make my stuff look great, she is busy running her very own free lance business called Turquoise Feathers.  She does everything from handmade vintage knick knacks to photography, web design, print design, logo design, drawing, and painting.  She is an amazing artist and truly has a passion for what she does.  Here are a couple Screenshots of  here self designed www.turquoisefeathers.com and turquoisefeathers.blogspot.com

turquoisefeathers.blogspot.com

www.turquoisefeathers.com

This is just a sneak peek into what my talented fiance can do.  I hope you enjoy looking through her wonderful blog and website and make sure an follow her soon.  Also if you need anything done print, photo, or web she is your girl.  Email her with the link below jennifer@turquoisefeathers.com

Till another Day 

Alec 

twitter: normallyINDIE